Smith v. United States
Encyclopedia
Smith v. United States, , is a United States Supreme Court
case that held that the exchange of a gun
for drugs
constituted "use" of the firearm for purposes of a federal statute imposing penalties for "use" of a firearm
"during and in relation to" a drug trafficking crime
.
In Watson v. United States
, 128 S.Ct. 697 (2007) the court later decided that a transaction in the opposite direction does not violate the same statute (i.e., Smith holds that one "uses" a gun by giving it in exchange for drugs, but Watson holds that one does not "use" a gun by receiving it in exchange for drugs).
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case that held that the exchange of a gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
for drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
constituted "use" of the firearm for purposes of a federal statute imposing penalties for "use" of a firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
"during and in relation to" a drug trafficking crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
.
In Watson v. United States
Watson v. United States
Watson v. United States, 552 U.S. 74 , is a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court had earlier held in Smith v...
, 128 S.Ct. 697 (2007) the court later decided that a transaction in the opposite direction does not violate the same statute (i.e., Smith holds that one "uses" a gun by giving it in exchange for drugs, but Watson holds that one does not "use" a gun by receiving it in exchange for drugs).
See also
- List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 508
- List of United States Supreme Court cases
- Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
- List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Rehnquist Court